Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net [Illustration: "He tried to shoot once more, into the very face of the oncoming brute."--FRONTISPIECE. _See Page 245._] THE HEART OF THUNDER MOUNTAIN By EDFRID A. BINGHAM With Frontispiece in Colors By ANTON OTTO FISHER A. L. BURT COMPANY Publishers New York Published by Arrangements with Little, Brown & Company Copyright, 1916, By Edfrid A. Bingham. All rights reserved Published, March, 1916 Reprinted, March, 1916 (twice) July, 1916; August, 1916 April, 1917 CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I The Forbidden Pasture 1 II The Road to Paradise 15 III Seth Huntington's Opportunity 26 IV The Highest Bidder 37 V "He Shall Tell Me!" 50 VI The Story of the Scar 60 VII The Way of a Maid With a Man 71 VIII The End of Her Stratagem 86 IX Hearts Insurgent 99 X Strictly Confidential 112 XI Avalanche 121 XII Sunnysides 133 XIII Hillyer's Dilemma 144 XIV Coals of Fire 155 XV The Valley of the Shadow 166 XVI Questions and Answers 176 XVII Interlude 186 XVIII The Challenge of the Brute 193 XIX Smythe's Last Budget 202 XX "The Trail Held True" 215 XXI In the Hollow of the Storm 228 XXII The Narrow Passage 238 XXIII The Miracle 252 XXIV Haig's Argument 264 XXV Diana 278 XXVI The Snow 288 XXVII The Voice in the Hurricane 302 XXVIII The Man Who Did Not Forget 316 XXIX Ghosts 330 XXX The Lamp Relighted 344 XXXI Sangre De Cristo 359 THE HEART OF THUNDER MOUNTAIN CHAPTER I THE FORBIDDEN PASTURE